Compliance with precautions to reduce the spread of COVID-19 in Canada.

Background: Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, Canadian public health officials have mandated and recommended precautions to slow the spread of COVID-19. This study examined which population groups were less compliant with precautions, such as mask-wearing and self-isolating, and where they were located in Canada. Data and methods: Results are from the Canadian COVID-19 Antibody and Health Survey, a national survey aimed at estimating how many Canadians who were older than one year and living in private households had antibodies in their blood against the SARS-CoV-2 virus. Questionnaire data were collected in the 10 provinces and 3 territorial capitals, from November 2020 to April 2021. Respondents were asked about compliance with precautions related to COVID-19. Weighted prevalences and logistic regression models were used to identify which population groups were less compliant with precautions to prevent the spread of COVID-19, and where they were located in Canada. Results: Significant differences in compliance with precautions were found by sex, region, urban versus rural location, age, income, presence of chronic conditions, household size and work status. With covariate adjustment, Canadians who were less compliant with precautions were males, those living in the territorial capitals, those in rural areas, and people aged 34 and younger (compared with people aged 65 and older). Additional differences were found when analyzing compliance with consistently recommended precautions compared with those usually recommended. Interpretation: As Canada continues to navigate the waves of the pandemic, and with the emergence of new variants, precautions are still being mandated or recommended in many jurisdictions and locations. Continuing to understand which population groups were less compliant in earlier waves and where they were located in Canada can be beneficial to ongoing and future public health efforts to slow the transmission of COVID-19.

COVID-19 infection in the Canadian household population.

Background: Certain population groups face a disproportionate burden of exposure to COVID-19. This study examined characteristics of Canadians living in private households in fall 2020 and winter 2021 who had been infected with COVID-19. Data and Methods: With an online questionnaire and an at-home finger-prick blood test, the Canadian COVID-19 Antibody and Health Survey was designed to estimate the seroprevalence of COVID-19 infection among people in private households in Canada. Data were collected from respondents aged 1 or older in the 10 provinces and the three territorial capitals, from November 2020 to April 2021. Descriptive statistics and logistic regression were used to identify characteristics that were associated with being seropositive for a past COVID-19 infection. Gender differences in observed associations were examined. Results: After covariate adjustment, younger age and visible minority status were associated with an increased likelihood of being seropositive for a past COVID-19 infection. For males, having a visible minority status, having less education and living in a multi-unit dwelling increased the likelihood of being seropositive. Females were more likely to have been seropositive if they worked in health care in direct contact with others. Interpretation: As Canada navigates the fifth and possibly a sixth wave of the pandemic, understanding who was more likely to be infected in earlier waves can help ongoing public health efforts to stop the transmission of COVID-19.

Exercise and screen time during the COVID-19 pandemic.

BACKGROUND: The objective of this paper is to describe the exercise and changes in screen time habits, and their relationship with health, among participants of the Canadian Perspectives Survey Series (CPSS). DATA AND METHODS: Between March 29th and April 3rd 2020, CPSS participants (n = 4,524) reported whether they were exercising outdoors or indoors and whether they increased, decreased or maintained their TV, Internet and video game use. Participants also reported their self-perceived general and mental health. RESULTS: More women reported very good or excellent mental health if they were exercising outdoors (54%) compared with those who were not (41%). More women reported very good or excellent general health if they were exercising outdoors (75%) compared with those who were not (49%), with the same trend evident for those exercising indoors (69%) compared to those who were not (62%). More men (65%) and women (62%) rated their mental and general health as very good or excellent if they maintained or decreased TV time compared with those who increased TV time (57% and 43%, respectively), with the same evident for Internet use in women only (maintained/decreased: 61% versus increased: 44%). More men (63%) and women (52%) rated their mental health as very good or excellent if they maintained or decreased video game time compared with those who increased video game time (48% and 29%, respectively). More men and women reported very good or excellent mental and general health if they increased none or one type of screen and/or were exercising outdoors compared with those who increased 2 or 3 types of screens and who were not exercising outdoors, with the exception of general health among men. DISCUSSION: Maintaining opportunities for outdoor exercise and limiting screen time may promote better mental and general health during periods of confinement.